Pearlena Igbokwe, Bonnie Hammer Land New Roles at NBCU

Pearlena Igbokwe has been promoted to chairman of Universal Studio Group, while Bonnie Hammer is taking on a new role as vice chairman of NBCUniversal.

Igbokwe will lead the company’s global TV studio business, including Universal Television, Universal Content Productions (UCP) and NBCUniversal International Studios. She will report directly to Jeff Shell, CEO of NBCUniversal.

Hammer’s new position sees her serving as a corporate advisor, drawing on her industry experience, influence in the creative community and long-standing commitment to prosocial initiatives. She will continue to report to Shell.

Shell commented: “This is an exciting time for our business, with demand for entertainment content at an all-time high and more distribution platforms available than ever before. Our television studios are key growth engines for the company, and Pearlena is ideally suited to lead them. She has extraordinary taste and is well-respected within NBCU, and throughout the global creative community.”

“I am extremely pleased to be gaining Bonnie as a trusted advisor,” Shell continued. “Her deep industry experience, impeccable creative instincts and 25-plus years of prosocial advocacy will be immensely valuable to me and our company.”

“Over the course of my career at NBCUniversal, I have been fortunate to touch every aspect of the television business and I am ready to take on this new corporate role. It is the perfect next chapter and I am delighted to pass the baton to Pearlena,” said Hammer. “She has a long track record of success and is the ideal person to take the helm of the studio group.”

Dawn Olmstead, president of UCP, and Jeff Wachtel, president of NBCUniversal International Studios, will now report directly to Igbokwe.